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OPINION

What can we do now to stop the next Aleppo?

Free Press readers
Published 12:08 a.m. ET Dec. 15, 2016

AFP_J43J9.jpg A general view shows smoke and flames rising from buildings in Aleppo's southeastern al-Zabdiya neighbourhood following government strikes on December 14, 2016. Shelling and air strikes sent terrified residents running through the streets of Aleppo as a deal to evacuate rebel districts of the city was in danger of falling apart. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

The world watched in horror as the Syrian city of Aleppo fell to Assad’s forces on Tuesday. The Syrian president’s regime and his partners, Russia and Iran, aggressively won against all global pleas for a ceasefire. Videos of streets filled with the dead bodies of civilians flooded social media, while helpless cries from unaffected viewers online reverberated in a great Twitter echo-chamber.

It’s easy to feel helpless in situations like these. “Never Again,” the common consolation statement issued after a horrendous event has now become a haunting question to world leaders. “Never Again?” As an Ahmadi Muslim, I turn my efforts to prayer and public service.

What can we, as citizens of powerful governments, do if our leaders aren’t acting justly? If the atrocious, U.N.-labeled “hell” in Aleppo strikes a chord of humanity within you, harness that feeling. Use that emotion to motivate a pursuit of leadership. It is the responsibility of the governed to also govern. I call on every social-media activist to consider their access to governance and begin working towards a place of voice and leadership. We can stop the next Aleppo.

Ibrahim Ijaz

Ann Arbor

Don’t turn to property taxes to fund RTA

An RTA tax based on property values is a transfer of wealth. Keep the RTA tax simple and charge everybody the same flat monthly tax. If the RTA tax is attached to the electric bill instead of the property tax bill, then everybody pays the tax not just property owners. Most people who rent an apartment have an electric bill and they are far more likely to use public transportation than somebody who lives in an expensive house. Renters who ride the bus should pay the RTA tax not the landlord who owns the apartment building. And, eliminate the concept of bus only lanes. People are not interested in paying an RTA tax that will cause a big traffic jam for cars.

Sam Gizzi

St. Clair Shores

Before unity, America deserves an apology

Lena Epstein’s fervent plea, in a guest column last week, for us to “unite” under a Trump presidency rings hollow on several points. How can we unite under a man who targeted entire groups of people and labeled them as the “other”? How does Epstein, co-chairwoman of Trump’s Michigan campaign, justify the racism, misogyny, anti-Semitic dog whistles that her candidate employed? How does she justify his threats to throw his opponent in jail? And now as President elect, he tweets out complete lies and uses his bully pulpit to bully anyone who disagrees with him. How do we unite under a president who has at his right hand, a man who has given a platform to white nationalists?

Perhaps Epstein should suggest to President-Elect Trump that he reach out by apologizing for his slurs against women, Muslims, Mexican Americans, Jews and anyone else that incurred his campaign wrath. Let him set the example of unity. Would that be too much to ask?

Beverly Friedenberg

Huntington Woods

Prioritize funding public schools

Like so many privatization efforts, government funding of charter schools is a means of redistributing wealth from public institutions (owned by your readers via taxes) to corporate interests. Let’s face it: the purpose of charter schools is to make profits for shareholders, and the education of children is incidental. Let’s get back to funding public education.

Laura Dewey

Grosse Pointe Woods

In recount fight, what is GOP trying to hide?

I keep wondering why no one in the media is asking the obvious questions: Why has the GOP battled the recount so viciously? What are they afraid of? Are they trying to hide something that they don’t want the voters to know? One would think that the party that is always screaming about voter fraud would welcome the chance to demonstrate that it exists.